Columbia, Mo. ? Missouri completed the improbable come-from-behind victory thanks to a career-high 40 points from Thomas Gardner.
The Tiger junior hit a three with 5.6 seconds left in regulation to tie the game.
But Missouri fouled Kansas Christian Moody with four-tenths of a second left.
The KU senior missed both free throws and Missouri took advantage in overtime as it outscored KU 12-9 in the five-mintue extra frame.
KU’s Brandon Rush, who was booed heavily throughout Monday night, passed up an opportunity at a game-tying shot in the lane to throw the ball in the direction of Darnell Jackson.
But Jackson couldn’t come up with the ball, Missouri recoverd and Jimmy McKinney, who tallied 19 points, was fouled. The Tigers senior hit a final free throw for the final margin.
“It wasn’t a play for Rush, but for Mario to take a three to win the game,” KU coach Bill Self said of the final play. “You have to drive to score, not to pass and he’ll learn that. You have to execute and we didn’t.”
Self said his young team is very disappointed with the way its handled closing out games against its rivals.
“We played real well, but so did Mizzou,” Self said. “It was really a double game. You can’t lose games up by seven with a minute and a half to play. We helped them come back to win.
“Gardner was just fabulous. He was as good as I have seen, especially that shot off of one foot.”
Kansas, which shot 53-percent, was led by a career-high 22 points by freshman guard Mario Chalmers.
Three other Jayhawks tallied double figures as Rush added 14, Moody 13, and Russell Robinson scored 12.
Missouri, which hit 45-percent from the field got 14 points out of Kevin Young and 12 from Marshall Brown.
The Tigers hit 10 threes, while Kansas had just three.
Kansas led 72-63 with under two minutes to go in regulation and Missouri hadn’t hit but one field goal in a nearly eight-minute span.
Missouri’s Young hit two free throws and McKinney followed with a basket as MU got the ball back on a turnover.
After single free throws by Moody and Rush, Gardner hit and off-balance three to pull the Tigers to within 74-70 with 30 seconds left.
Chalmers responded with just one free throw. But McKinney scored on a spin move in the lane and Missouri got the ball back on a jump ball.
McKinney got a drive to go and was fouled with 15.2 seconds left by Rush. The MU senior missed the free throw and fouled Robinson who grabbed the rebound. Robinson made both free throws with 14.2 left to put KU up 77-74.
But Gardner came down and knocked down another triple with just 5.6 seconds left to tie the contest.
Moody was then fouled but proceeded to miss both free throws.
“He’s a tough kid,” Self said of Moody. “He’s never been a great free throw shooter. I’d put him up there again. Unfortunately, you have to deal with this stuff.”
Self said his team can only get stronger because of the emotional setback.
“I hope it hurts a lot,” he said. “It’s supposed to hurt when losing to Mizzou, but you grow up.”
Overtime
Thomas Gardner got MU, which went on a 14-5 run to tie the game in regulation, on the scoreboard first in overtime with a drive to the basket.
Christian Moody airballed a three as the shot-clock expired.
Tiger Kevin Young got an offensive rebound and was fouled. The MU big man hit a pair of free throws to go up 81-77 with 4:08 left in overtime.
Chalmers drove the lane and scored on a floater, to give him a career-high 21 points, and cut KU’s deficit to 81-79.
The KU freshman hit one free throw, Moody tipped the second missed charity out. Rush rebounded and Robinson scored on a drive to put KU up 82-81.
Moody fouled out on the other end.
MU’s McKinney hit both free throws to put MU back on top with two and a half minutes to go in overtime.
Chalmers missed a runner, but Darnell Jackson rebounded and scored on a putback that put KU back in front.
Marshall Brown threw down a thunderous dunk off a feed by Gardner to put MU ahead.
Jackson gave KU a 86-85 lead on two free throws with 1:17 to play.
Gardner missed a three but will go to the free throw lane after a rebound from teammate McKinney. The MU junior hit both to put the Tigers ahead 87-86 with 1:01 to go.
Wright missed a jumper.
KU fouled Gardner who will go to the line with 29.3 left. The Tiger, who has a career-high 40 points, hit one charity to put MU up 88-86.
Rush drove the lane but threw the ball away and Kansas had to foul with two seconds left.
McKinney hit one free throw to give KU a 89-86 victory.
Second Half Action
Brandon Rush got the Jayhawks on the scoreboard first in the second half as he scored on an easy reverse off a nice feed by Mario Chalmers.
Russell Robinson attacked the basket on KU’s ensuing possession and knocked down a pair of free throws to cut KU’s deficit to 37-36 with 18:46 to go.
Jimmy McKinney missed a dunk and Chalmers put KU back in front with a lay-in off the glass as Kansas opened the half with a 6-0 run.
Thomas Gardner was called for a travel despite getting his shot apparently blocked by Robinson.
Christian Moody threw down an alley oop dunk off a feed from Robinson from the outside to put KU in front 40-37.
Gardner missed his first shot of the second half, but KU turned the ball back over.
Kevin Young broke Mizzou’s scoreless streak with a lay-in underneath and the Jayhawks had yet another turnover.
Kansas had its third straight turnover.
Chalmers came up with a steal and was fouled. The freshman added two free throws.
MU came right back with a big lob to Marshall Brown for a dunk.
Sasha Kaun scored in the lane off a pass from Brandon Rush.
But Kevin Young answered for Missouri and was fouled. The MU big man hit the free throw to tie the contest at 44 with 14:51 to go.
Gardner hit a long two to put Mizzou back in front.
But Robinson locked things back up at 46-all with two free throws with 14:13 to play.
There’s been 12 lead changes and four ties.
Glen Dandridge nailed a three for MU from the left corner for the 49-46 advantage.
But Rush responded with a triple of his own to quiet the crowd.
Julian Wright hit a short jumper to put Kansas ahead 51-49.
But Gardner, who has 24 points, knocked down a short jumper to tie things once again.
Gardner connected on MU’s seventh three off a quick shot from the left side to put MU up 54-51 with under 11 to go.
KU turned the ball over on a travel and McKinney banked a basket in off the window.
C.J. Giles missed a one-and-one but got his own tip in to cut KU’s deficit to three.
But McKinney added a three of his own to put the Tigers on top by six.
Chalmers answered with a long bomb from in front of the circle.
Robinson missed a chance to tie the game, but KU came up with a steal and Hawkins scored on a reverse to cut MU’s lead to one.
A charge by Mizzou gave the ball back to KU. But a jump ball reversed possession to MU.
Robinson put Kansas in front with a long jumper with a little more than seven minutes to go.
Chalmers looked to draw a foul, but the KU freshman hit the tough shot anyway as the Jayahwks are on a 9-0 run.
Moody came up with a steal, flung a ball down the court to Chalmers who tossed an alley to Rush for a big dunk and 64-59 lead with 5:23 to go.
MU’s Brown hit both ends of a one-and-one to end KU’s 11-0 run and keep the Tigers within one basket.
Rush missed a runner and Robinson fouled Gardner.
Gardner, who has 29 points — one off his career-high, hit both charities to draw the Tigers to within 64-63 with 4: 22 to go.
Moody scored off a nice pass by Chalmers.
McKinney missed a three for MU, Rush grabbed the rebound and was fouled.
Rush extended KU’s lead to 68-63 with 3:38 to go on two free throws.
Brown and Young put up airballs for MU.
Chalmers drove the lane and found Moody open underneath for an easy lay-in that pushed KU ahead, 70-63.
Kansas came up with a steal by Moody. After running some clock, Chalmers knocked down a jumper in the lane to give KU its largest lead at 72-63 with under two minutes to go.
Missouri hasn’t had a field goal in the last 7:40.
Young hit a pair of free throws.
Moody was locked up and a jump ball was called, but the possession stays with Kansas. Rush turned the ball over and MU called a timeout. McKinney got a putback to cut the score to 72-67 with just under a mintue to play.
Rush missed a free throw but hit the second one to extend KU’s lead to six.
McKinney missed a three, and Moody was fouled. The KU senior hit one free throw to put KU up 74-67 with 39.4 to go.
Gardner gave himself a career-high with another off-balance three and brought the Tigers to within 74-70 with 30 seconds to go when he knocked down a triple from the left side.
Rush ran the baseline and found Chalmers. But the KU freshman made just one free throw.
McKinney got a basket to fall on a spin move with 20 seconds to go. MU locked up Chalmers with 17.5 seconds left.
McKinney got a drive to go and was fouled with 15.2 seconds left by Rush. The MU senior missed the free throw and fouled Robinson who grabbed the rebound.
Robinson made both free throws with 14.2 left to put KU up 77-74.
Gardner drilled a three-pointer with less than six seconds left to tie the game at 77.
But Moody was fouled with four-tenths of a second left by McKinney.
The KU senior missed both free throws.
Halftime
Kansas University’s basketball team better find a way to stop Missouri’s Thomas Gardner quickly. Otherwise the MU junior might just shoot the Jayhawks out of the building.
Gardner, who has 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 4-of-8 from downtown, tallied the last 13 points for Mizzou — which took a 37-32 lead into halftime.
Kansas is actually shooting over 50-percent, but the Jayhawks have committed 11 turnovers, which MU has scored 13 points off of.
Mario Chalmers leads KU with seven points, while Christian Moody has six. KU has hit only 5-of-12 free throws.
Meanwhile the Tigers have already connected on five long balls.
First Half Action
Missouri won the tip in the Border Showdown but guard Jimmy McKinney misfired on a three-pointer.
KU’s Christian Moody gave the ball back to MU with a travel.
Thomas Gardner was hit as he drove the lane and the Big 12’s leading scorer got the Tigers on the scoreboard first when he knocked down a pair of free throws in the first minute.
Moody hit a free throw of his own to cut MU’s lead to one, and Kaun put the Jayhawks on top for the first time with a tip in.
Kevin Young came right back an answered with a jump hook in the lane.
Brandon Rush, who was heavily booed before the game, missed his first jumper. But the KU freshman, whose brother, Kareem, played at Mizzou, came back and score on a drive to the basket.
McKinney put MU back in front, but Mario Chalmers answered with a floater in the lane.
Moody scored again on a goal-tending call to put KU ahead 9-6 at the 16:30 mark.
Marshall Brown scored for MU, but couldn’t complete the three-point play as he was fouled. The foul marked the second on KU’s Sasha Kaun just four minutes into the contest and close the score to 9-8.
Julian Wright missed a pair of free throws.
After the Tigers missed their third three-pointer Russell Robinson answered for the Jayhawks with a midrange jumper.
MU missed a shot in the lane and KU’s Wright was whistled on the other end for an offensive foul.
Young hit a free throw to cut the score to 11-9 with just over 14 minutes to play in the half.
All five KU starters have scored and so has big man C.J. Giles, who knocked down a free throw for the three-point lead.
But Mizzou’s Gardner tied the game on a three from the right wing.
Rush responded with a long jumper, but McKinney knocked down a three of his own from the left side to put MU back on top.
Giles answered with a short jumper as KU has hit 7-of-9 field goals.
Chalmers missed two free throws and Kansas has hit only 2-of-8 charities.
Brown gave the lead back to Missouri with a shot in the lane for the 17-16 advantage going into a timeout.
Young followed a miss with an easy lay-in and a three-point lead for MU.
Giles threw down a dunk all alone underneath to cut KU’s deficit to one.
Jeff Hawkins put Kansas back in front when he scored on a break-away lay-up thanks to a nice feed from Robinson.
Moody scored his sixth points on a drive after a nice feed from Micah Downs.
Leo Lyons — known to some Kansas fans formerly as Leo Criswell when he played at KC Piper High School — hit a free throw to cut KU’s lead to 22-20 with under nine minutes to play in the half.
Chalmers extended KU’s run to 9-1 on a three from the right side to put the Jayhawks ahead 25-20.
Darnell Jackson scored easily inside thanks to another nice feed from Jackson to go up by seven with under seven minutes to go.
Gardner scored for Mizzou on a scoop shot in the lane, and Brown added a basket in the lane on the Tigers ensuing possession.
KU threw the ball away its next trip down.
Chalmers hit a pair of free throws to stop MU’s 4-0 spurt and put Kansas back ahead 29-24 with 5:39 to go. The freshman has seven points.
Gardner hit another three, this time from the top of the circle, to cut Ku’s lead to 29-27.
Chalmers threw the ball away for Kansas.
Gardner tied the contest with a wild shot in the lane with 4:39 to go in the half. The junior guard has 12 points as he stopped in the lane and threw up a shot over his head that fell through the hoop,
There has been nine lead changes so far and two ties.
Kansas threw the ball away again as MU will try to improve on its 9-2 run.
The Tigers did, taking back the lead on a three from the left wing by Gardner who was off-balance. The guard has MU’s last eight points as the Tigers went on a 12-2 run before Moody hit a free throw to cut the score to 32-30.
A turnover by Jackson, who fought for a rebound with his own teammate, allowed Gardner, who has 11 straight points, to drill another three.
KU, which hasn’t score in 3:50 committed its ninth turnover, allowing MU the ball back as the Tigers our on the midst of a 15-3 run.
Jackson flew in for a big dunk for KU’s first hoop in five minutes.
Chalmers had another turnover as he bounced the ball off his own foot. Downs threw another ball away for the Jayhawks.
Gardner added his 20th points on a drive to the basket that put MU up 37-32.
Chalmers missed a three at the buzzer and MU took the five point lead into the break.
Kansas switched up its starting line-up a little bit with Sasha Kaun starting at forward along with senior Christian Moody and Brandon Rush. The KU guards were Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers.
Missouri countered with center Kevin Young, forwards Marshall Brown and Marcus Watkins and guards Jimmy McKinney andThomas Gardner.
Pregame
Kansas University’s basketball team had a day to think about what went wrong in the second half of Saturday’s streak-stopping victory by Kansas State in Allen Fieldhouse.
But that time to sulk about the in-state setback better be gone for the Jayhawks at 6 p.m. tonight in Columbia, Mo., because Kansas will probably have an equally tough, if not tougher, task on its hands with rival Missouri in the Border Showdown.
“I don’t think it matters where it’s played. Missouri-Kansas … it’ll be intense,” said former Jayhawk Ryan Robertson. “It’ll be packed that night. One thing that scares me about Mizzou at this point … they had a horrible preseason. The staff is under fire. Everybody thinks it could be his (Quin Snyder’s) last year … so it appears they are playing like there’s nothing to lose.
“It’s like they said, ‘Why not go into the conference season the heck with everything, we’ll play like wounded animals.’ I still love what we have, our guys, the job coach (Bill) Self has done is fantastic. But it will be tough to win there.”
While KU has played away from the Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks will not face a tougher Big 12 environment than the one they will tonight at the second-year old Mizzou Arena.
“We’ll approach it like it’s Missouri,” said KU coach Bill Self, whose 10-5, 1-1 Big 12 squad has won seven of its last eight. “We don’t like them and they don’t like us much.”
Mizzou fans might be even harder on the Jayhawks than usual considering that Show Me State native son Brandon Rush — whose brother, Kareem, was a star for the Tigers — chose to attend KU over MU.
“I think they’ll treat me real bad,” said Rush of the MU fans. “Everybody is going to get booed. I think I’ll get it more. I handle stuff like that pretty well. I’m not sensitive at all. I just don’t care.”
While Kansas is coming off a 59-55 loss to Kansas State (the first Wildcat win in 31 games), the Tigers also suffered an emotional setback Saturday losing to Colorado on a last-second three-pointer.
“We’ve got to put this game behind us,” said Tiger junior guard Thomas Gardner, who along with Jimmy McKinney each had 22 points against CU. “The team will be up for it just because it’s Kansas, and that’s a positive. We have a quick turnaround, so we have to get ready to win.”
Missouri had an eight-game home winning streak and five-straight broke by Colorado Saturday, 74-71. The Tigers are currently 9-5 on the season and 2-1 in Big 12 play with league wins against Oklahoma State (69-61) and at Oklahoma (71-69).
Missouri is scoring 65.5 points per game and giving up 61. Gardner leads the team with an 18.9 scoring average. His 45 three-pointers made this season are more than the rest of the Tigers combined. Gardner is averaging 22 points per game in Big 12 play. Senior guard McKinney is next in scoring at 11.2 points per game. He is among the league leaders in free throw percentage at 80.7 percent.
Senior Kevin Young leads the team in rebounds at 7.4 per game to go along with his 7.9 points per outing. Sandwiched between McKinney and Young is sophomore Marshall Brown who is scoring 9.3 points and pulling down 5.4 rebounds. Sophomore Jason Horton leads the team with 49 assists and 26 steals while scoring five points per game.
KU has lost four of its five games this season by four points or less. The Jayhawks won their first true road game of the season at Colorado Wednesday, 75-63. Kansas is averaging 73.9 points per game and giving up 58.4.
Last week, the Jayhawks led the nation in field goal percentage defense and is currently holding opponents to a 35.4 clip. Rush leads the team and the Big 12 freshmen class in scoring at 13 points per game. Rush is making 50 percent of his three-pointers (20-for-40) and is averaging 5.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore center Sasha Kaun is next in scoring at 10.1 points per game and leads the team with a 6.5 rebounding average.
Freshman guard Mario Chalmers is next in scoring at 7.9 after his career-high 20 points against Kansas State Saturday. Chalmers leads KU with 50 assists and 35 steals in 2005-06. Sophomore center C.J. Giles paces Kansas with 29 blocked shots to go along with his 7.7 points and 5.8 rebound per game.
Kansas leads the all-time series with Missouri, 161-92. KU has won four of the last five meetings and nine of the past 11 match ups with MU. The last meeting saw the Tigers snap a Kansas four-game series-winning streak with a 72-68 win on March 6, 2005, to end the regular season. KU is 61-52 versus Missouri when playing in Columbia and 0-1 in Mizzou Arena.
Tonight will mark the first time since Jan. 19, 1991 that neither team was ranked at tip. There have been 32 KU-MU games played since with one or both of the teams ranked. The Jayhawks lost the first-ever meeting with the Missouri Tigers, 34-31, on March 11, 1907, in Lawrence.
“It’s just another game, and our team has to have it as a victory,” McKinney said. “I’m not going to hype it up, it doesn’t need to be hyped.”
Rush said at least one former Tiger will be pulling for him — or a least better be pulling for him.
“He’ll be pulling for me. I hope he’s pulling for me,” Rush joked about his brother Kareem. “He better be pulling for me, or we’ll box.”
Photo gallery: KU vs. MU
Hear Bill: Missouri postgame audio